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Lynda.com–My Latest Addiction

(Don’t worry, Mom, this time it’s a good habit!)

Imagine a world where everything you’ve ever wanted to learn is sitting at your dining room table waiting for you to tap in? Well, I’ve stumbled upon a goldmine, and I want to share it with you!

Passion

Amongst my family, friends and peers, I’m known for many things—snorting when I laugh, my love of puns and correcting grammatical errors, but especially my passion for learning. After taking a writing course with the amazing Nicole Breit, I was talking to a good friend about how I wish I knew how to transfer my ideas into the proper technologically driven format. She suggested Lynda.com. I put it on my list of things to do.

Less than a week later, I got an email notification from work that all employees have free and unlimited access to Lynda.com. Obviously, the universe was trying to tell me something important.

Stepping Stones

I am a very confident woman. I have never doubted my ability to learn—well, unless it is very scientific or very technological. Since my first foray with a computer—the one that lost my 27-page psychology paper due the next morning and I hadn’t made notes, just typed into the machine—I’ve distrusted technology. As a teacher, I’ve had to keep up with the basics, but haven’t ventured too far from what I needed to know.

Lynda of Lynda.ca describes her site as a “stepping stone for others to find their passion.” Her mandate is to take complex things and simplify them to the point where everyday people will understand them. I’ve already watched six of the courses, and I can attest to the fact that they make me feel competent. I’ve learned what I needed to learn to feel confident that I’ve grasped concepts that seemed too foreign to learn. I’m on fire!

For more on her story, watch the following video:

 

Also, some of you will be happy to know that you can link your completed courses to your LinkedIn profile 🙂

What’s the purpose of lynda.com?

Lynda.com is a complex organization that creates instructional films. The company analyzes the market and their member then creates a steady stream of programs based on the results. Each of the courses combines conviction, choreography and compassion. First, they find a working expert in the field who is also an amazing teacher. Next, they choreograph the instructional design, so you become convinces that you can learn the content without talking down or assuming that you have any prior knowledge whatsoever. Finally, they are compassionate and meet the learner where she is, often have beginner, intermediate and advanced versions of the course.

For more on how the courses are created, watch this video:

 

Excited to learn more?

First, check to see if your local library subscribes to Lynda.com. If not, a personal subscription to Lynda.com would be well worth it if you are passionate about any of the many topics available for study at Lynda.com—from photography to marketing to 3D printing to becoming a documentary filmmaker. You can get a free month trial, then it’s $29.99-34.99 per month.

At the very least, check out the course offerings. It’s worth a few minutes of your time.

Past Posts that you might have missed

Carving Out Your Dream 101

Weaving Threads

 

How to Make “it” a Habit

The Beauty of the MOOC